Locking device for a safety grill

ABSTRACT

A locking device for a safety grill comprised generally of a round inner tube, rotatable within a square outer tube extending through a wall to a point of connection to a grill in covering relation to an opening in a building structure such as a door or window. Handle means are provided on the inner end of the locking device for selectively rotating the round inner tube between a locked and an unlocked position relative to a latch bar connected to the grill.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,843,176 Gonzalez-Cuzan 1 Oct. 22, 1974 [54] LOCKING DEVICE FOR A SAFETY GRILL iflglfi; lliaarell ,9 4,8 e ic re [761 lnvemo" gg g g q -gr g 3,268,253 8/1966 Apple berry 292/54 x r mm, a. [22] Filed: Sept. 12, 1973 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam 211 pp No 396 543 Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner ABSTRACT A locking device for a safety grill cornprised generally [58] Field or send 292/54 44 45, 60' 202405, of a round nner tube, rotatablewith n a square outer tube extending through a wall to a point of connection 292/218, 228, 304, 341.17

to a grill 1n covenng relation to an opening 1n a bu1ld- 961 CM z'ziiiiziiszz ss tzmz UNITED STATES PATENTS for selectively rotating the round inner tube between a l 1;; 21 32 locked and an unlocked position relative to a latch bar a ey 1,718,650 6/1929 Janoir 292/218 x connected to the 2,589,878 3/1952 Shapiro 292/60 7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures LOCKING DEVICE FOR A SAFETY GRILL STATE OF THE PRIOR ART US. Pat. No. 3,667,161 to John H. Sassano discloses an operating mechanism, incorporated in a window closure, including a shutter panel hingedly supported at the top along a horizontal axis. This type of window closure is generally known as a Bahama shutter. Crank means are provided interiorly of the building structure, centrally of the lower horizontal portion of the window. A gear drive connects between the crank means and a bar, extending horizontally along the outside building wall below the window. A pair of lever arms fixed to the opposed ends of the bar slidingly engage with track means, fixed to the lower vertical edges of the shutter, to cause the shutter to be pivoted to an open position when the crank handle is actuated.

US. Pat. No. 2,589,878 to Leona E. Shapiro discloses a grill type window closure which is attached to the frame structure on the inside of the window. This grill structure extends about two-thirds of the way up the heighth of the window. Spring-loaded lock means engage the two vertical side posts of the grill and are operable to permit complete removal of the grill from the window frame.

OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention pertains to a locking device for a safety grill which extends through the wall of a building structure and includes manual control means which permits selective locking and unlocking of a protective grill relative to an opening in a building structure such as a door or window.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a locking device for a grill which is operable from the inside of a building structure to selectively lock or unlock said grill relative to the outside of a building opening such as a door or a window.

Another object of this invention is to provide a locking device for a grill which includes a detent means, operable from the inside of the building, which is manually operated in conjunction with the control means and selectively holds the locking device in either the locked or unlocked position.

A further object of thepresent invention is to provide a square tube, extending through the wall of a building structure, a round tube, rotatably mounted in said square tube, a latch bar, extendable into said round tube and the inside manual control means which is fixed to the round tube to rotate said tube to selectively engage or disengage lug means therein with a cut out portion of the latch bar, connected to said grill.

Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a locking device for a protective grill which is simple in construction and operation, is very rugged and cannot be tampered with from the outside in a manner so as to gain illegal entry into a building structure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grill door in closing relation to a doorway in a building structure;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the grill of FIG. I, illustrating the locking device extending through the wall of a building structure, shown in cross section;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the locking device, through a building wall, in locking engagement with a grill;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the locking device in an unlocked condition;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the control means on the inside of the building wall;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 3 illustrating the locked condition of the device of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 6, illustrating the unlocked condition of the device; and

FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the drawings in which like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the various views and with particular reference to FIG. 1, the locking device of the present invention is designated generally at 10 in locking engagement between a safety grill door 12 and the wall 14 of a building structure B having a doorway D therein.

With particular reference to FIG. 3, the locking device 10 is comprised generally of three main elements, an outer square tube 16, extending through the wall 14, a round tube 18, rotatably mounted in the square tube 16 and a latch bar20 having a first or inner end portion 22 normally extending into the round tube 18 and a second, or outer end portion 24, pivotally connected at 26 to an attachment means 28 which may be in the form of a clevis, fixed as by welding to the grill door 12.

The square tube 16 may include flange means 30, adjacent its inner end for attachment as by means 32 to theinside of they wall 14. interiorly, at the inner and outer ends, bearing sections 34 and 36 are provided in the square tube 16 to rotatably journal the round tube 18. The inner end of the round tube 18 is closed by a wall 38 which carries a detent member 40 in a bore 42, said detent 40 being spring-loaded as at 44. A cover plate 46 attached by screws 48 to the inner wall 38 retains the detent member 40 in place.

A reduced diameter stem 50 from the detent 40 projects through a hole 51 in the cover plate 46 and a .second cover plate 52, fixed by screws 54, FIG. 5, to

the inner face of the square tube 16. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a rod 56 which may be attached to or formed integrally with the cover plate 46, projects inwardly through an aperture 58 in the second cover plate 52 and carries a handle 60 fixed through the inner end portion thereof.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the second cover plate 52 is provided with two through holes 62 and 64, spaced approximately 90 degrees apart. As illustrated, the holes 62 and 64 have beveled edges 66 to permit a persons finger to depress the detent stem 50 through the second cover plate, permitting actuation of the handle 60 to rotate the round tube 16 relative to the square tube 18. In use, clockwise rotation of the handle will rotate the round tube approximately 90 until the detent stem 50 is urged by the spring 44 through the second hole 64 in the cover plate 52. Counterrotation of the handle moves the detent stern back into engagement through the first hole 62.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the outer end 70 of the round tube 16 is edgewisely cut out as at 72.

The cut out 72 cooperates with an abutment 74 formed inwardly from the outer bearing portion 36 to limit the rotational movement of the round tube 18 to approximately 90 to determine the movement of the detent stem 50 relative to the inner cover plate holes 62 and 64.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 7, a pair of diametrically opposite lugs 78 and 80 project inwardly from the inner wall of the round tube 18, adjacent the outer end threof. The latch bar 20 normally extends through a slot 82 in the outer end wall 84 of the square tube 16. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inner end portion of the latch bar 20 is provided with a pair of opposed cut outs 86 and 88 forming a narrow neck 90.

When the grill 12 is closed as in FIG. 1, it contacts a plurality of abutments 92 anchored in the wall 14. The abutments 92 position the grill 12 so that the narrow neck 90 is aligned with the lugs 78 and 80. When the round tube is positioned with the detent stem 50 through the first hole 62, the lugs 78 and 80 are locked in the cut outs 86 and 88, FIGS. 3 and 6. When the detent stem 50 is depressed and the handle 60 is rotated until the stem 50 engages through the second hole 64, the lugs 78 and 80 are disposed at approximately 90 to the respective cut outs 86 and 88 releasing the door to be swung open, FIGS. 4 and 7.

Additionally each side face of the latch bar 20 may be provided with a stop wing 96, FIGS. 3 and 4, to positively position the lugs 78 and 80 relative to the cut outs or notches 86 and 88 when the grill is in a closed position, the stop wings 96 being located to contact the outer surface of the end wall 84.

While the locking device of the present invention has been illustrated and described relative to a door grill, it is equally adaptable to a window grill as well as any other type of grill, used to protectively cover any type of opening in a building structure.

What is claimed is:

1. A locking device for a safety grill of the type used to protectively enclose a wall opening in a building structure such as a doorway or window comprising:

A. an outer tube extending through the building wall in a fixed relation therewith;

B. an inner tube, rotatably mounted in said outer tube;

C. a latch bar pivotally connected at its outer end to the grill and including an inner latch end for slidable engagement through the outer end of said outer tube into said inner tube;

D. manual control means fixed to said inner tube, ex-

tending inwardly of said outer tube, to selectively rotate said inner tube between first and second positions;

E. means within theinner tube, adjacent the outer end thereof, to engage said latch end when said inner tube is in said first position to lock the grill relative to the wall opening and to disengage said latch bar when said tube is in said second position to permit the grill to open relative to the wall openmg.

2. A locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein said outer tube is square in cross section and said inner tube is round in cross section.

3. A locking device as defined in claim 1 including a two position, spring-loaded detent means carried by said inner tube to selectively lock said inner tube in said first or second position.

4. A locking device as defined in claim 1 including interengaging abutment means on said inner and outer tubes to define said first and second positions.

5. A locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means within the inner tube compreses a pair of diametrically opposed, inwardly extending lugs from the inner wall of said inner tube and said latch end includes companionate cut out portions to engage said lugs in said first position and to disengage said lugs in said second positions.

6. A locking device as defined in claim 4 wherein said interengaging abutment means comprises an abutment extending inwardly from said outer tube and a cut out portion on the outer end of said inner tube sized to contact said abutment after a predetermined degree of rotation in either direction.

7. A locking device as defined in claim 5 including a pair of stop wings, extending outwardly from the respective sides of said latch bar, said stop wings being positioned to contact the outer end of said outer tube in said locked position. 

1. A locking device for a safety grill of the type used to protectively enclose a wall opening in a building structure such as a doorway or window comprising: A. an outer tube extending through the building wall in a fixed relation therewith; B. an inner tube, rotatably mounted in said outer tube; C. a latch bar pivotally connected at its outer end to the grill and including an inner latch end for slidable engagement through the outer end of said outer tube into said inner tube; D. manual control means fixed to said inner tube, extending inwardly of said outer tube, to selectively rotate said inner tube between first and second positions; E. means within the inner tube, adjacent the outer end thereof, to engage said latch end when said inner tube is in said first position to lock the grill relative to the wall opening and to disengage said latch bar when said tube is in said second position to permit the grill to open relative to the wall opening.
 2. A locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein said outer tube is square in cross section and said inner tube is round in cross section.
 3. A locking device as defined in claim 1 including a two position, spring-loaded detent means carried by said inner tube to selectively lock said inner tube in said first or second position.
 4. A locking device as defined in claim 1 including interengaging abutment means on said inner and outer tubes to define said first and second positions.
 5. A locking device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means within the inner tube compreses a pair of diametrically opposed, inwardly extending lugs from the inner wall of said inner tube and said latch end includes companionate cut out portions to engage said lugs in said first position and to disengage said lugs in said second positions.
 6. A locking device as defined in claim 4 wherein said interengaging abutment means comprises an abutment extending inwardly from said outer tube and a cut out portion on the outer end of said inner tube sized to contact said abutment after a predetermined degree of rotation in either direction.
 7. A locking device as defined in claim 5 including a pair of stop wings, extending outwardly from the respective sides of said latch bar, said stop wings being positioned to contact the outer end of said outer tube in said locked position. 